If you are using any data from NatureCounts, it is important to understand that all data contributors retain full ownership and authority over the use of their data. Although NatureCounts aims to share data as freely as possible, concerns about sensitive species and locations, private land, and data sovereignty necessitate a careful and secure process for data access.

For this reason, each dataset housed in NatureCounts is assigned a level of access that governs how it can be used. The levels of access are:

• Level 0 – The data are stored on NatureCounts but cannot be viewed or accessed.

• Level 1 – The metadata are displayed on the website but the data cannot be viewed or accessed.

• Level 2 – The data can be used for some visualizations (ie. maps, graphs) but cannot be directly accessed.

• Level 3 – The data are used for visualizations, and full access can be requested through NatureCounts.

• Level 4 – The data are used for visualizations, can be provided to existing bioinformatic efforts (ie, GBIF), and can be requested through NatureCounts.

• Level 5 – The data are used for visualizations, can be provided to existing bioinformatic efforts, and are freely available through NatureCounts.

For datasets at level 3 and 4, access to the data requires the approval of a data custodian. For more on that process, see the Request and Review Process section of this tutorial.

For more detailed information about the levels of access, visit the Levels of Data Access page of the NatureCounts website.

Next section: Introduction to the Data Exploration Tools